MONUMENTAL MASONS AND MEMORIAL MASONS IN
ALTNAGELVIN

Are you looking for advice on choosing headstones or looking for monumental masons, stones masons or memorial masons in
Altnagelvin, Altnagelvin, County Londonderry, Northern Ireland with the skills to carve inscriptions on quality new headstones, head stones, gravestones, grave stones, tombstones and memorials in polished black granite, grey granite, white marble, slate or stone for a grave of an adult, child or cremated remains (ashes graves) at an affordable price?

This page is designed to help you locate monumental masons (memorial masons) who can provide a specific funeral headstone or memorial service in this local area. There is also memorial guidance on the cost of headstones, choosing headstones and cemetery and churchyard rules and regulations as well as general advice and relevant internet links.

Choosing a Memorial Ė (Headstones)

The quality of the natural material used is generally very good with the majority of monuments coming from just a few regions of the world where memorial quality materials can be quarried. What should influence your decision when considering buying a memorial is the price and cost of a headstone, choice of memorials offered, the time taken to deliver, place or erect a headstone in a cemetery or churchyard, and the quality of lettering inscribed on the headstone.The questions to ask are:

How much will the finished memorial cost including VAT? (Estimate in writing)

Is the headstone supplier a member of NAMM?

Is the memorial guaranteed?

How long will it take to complete?

Make sure you know exactly what you are paying for! When comparing prices, make sure you know the exact dimensions. (Funeral headstones are similar in height, however the thickness varies and some are very thin.)

Regulations relating to Headstones, Gravestones and Memorials

Unless a Headstone is placed on a grave that is located on private land, the memorial will be subject to memorial guidelines, or cemetery regulations which will specify the height, width and dimensions of a headstone. The regulations may also specify the materials used, such as those in churchyards and burial grounds administered by the Church of England, and the regulations that will increasingly include methods of fixing a Gravestone to comply with cemetery Health and Safety regulations.

Make sure the headstone you want will be allowed in the Cemetery before you confirm the order with the memorial supplier.

Fees required by a cemetery authority will be charged separately and in addition to the cost of the gravestone. Make sure the overall cost of purchasing a memorial and cemetery fees are within your total budget.

For guidance on cemetery application fees contact the cemetery concerned or a monumental mason directly.

Burial in Churchyards

Burials in churchyards are subject to rules and regulations of the church authority concerned. These rules are often very strict in relation to the type of headstone or memorial that can be placed on the grave following the funeral. The restrictions on churchyard memorials may include no black granite or polished memorials and can extend to what is inscribed on the headstone. Those responsible for the funeral arrangements should be aware of what memorial restrictions are enforced before the interment takes place to avoid any unnecessary distress later on.

For further information and guidance about a specific churchyard contact the minister or incumbent concerned.

The Grief Process following a Bereavement

Death alters the course of daily life for all those closest to the person who has died. If someone close to you has died, you must accept that things will change, whether the change is small or immense. Something irreversible has happened and your life must now follow a different course. You will face various experiences which will affect you in certain ways until, having worked through them, you arrive at point where your life is once again moving steadily in a positive direction.

Green Burials and Woodland Cemeteries

Many people have different concepts of "Green" and "Woodland" burials but generally they can be defined as an environmentally friendly way of disposing of human remains. Usually there is an area of the cemetery which has been set-aside for people who do not wish to have a traditional burial but who wish to be buried. Once a burial has taken place the grave remains "forever" in the natural setting of woodland. It is envisaged that as the woodland begins to mature, it will become a haven for wildlife and wild flowers. This is a return to nature in the true sense and will create a haven of peace and tranquillity.

After the interment has taken place and a period of time has passed to allow the grave to settle, a traditional tree is planted at the foot or head of the grave. The trees are usually planted during the right season and then the area is managed to ensure maximum tree growth and to create conditions for wild flowers and nature to flourish. This kind of cemetery management may result in trees being removed to allow sufficient sunlight to reach the ground, consequently some graves may not have trees replanted. Traditional headstones or memorials made granite, marble and stone are not allowed on Woodland graves.

National Association of Memorial Masons (NAMM)

NAMM is a trade organisation and membership is voluntary. NAMM members work to an approved Code of Ethics, a proven track record of business, a requirement to have Public Liability insurance and provide an independent arbitration service in the event of any problems arising.

The following are the standards of trading which members of the Association are required to observe:

A member shall do all in his power to uphold and maintain the dignity of the Craft.

He shall abide by the Associationís Codes of Good Business and Working Practice.

He shall abide by any findings of the Associationís Conciliation & Arbitration Service relevant to him.

He shall on all occasions discourage the pestering of the bereaved, including the soliciting of orders in burial grounds.

He shall never attempt to persuade a customer to cancel an order when once placed with a competitor.

He shall at all times endeavour to foster friendly relations with and mutually assist other members in all matters concerning the interest of the Craft.

Environmentally-friendly Coffins and Cardboard Coffins. Coffin Covers

The dictionary describes a coffin as a "box in which a corpse is buried or cremated". For anyone who needs to purchase one, a coffin is an emotional symbol of a close relative now deceased.

For some families a coffin represents "the way someone lived their life". It may be the best that money can buy or a simple coffin. For many, the coffin is a necessary and unavoidable purchase that simply performs a practical function and "it does not matter what it was made from if it's going to be cremated". This point of view may also reflect the expressed wish of a relative before they passed away.

The Coffin Cover arrangement is a new and unique innovation in coffin design that combines all the necessary requirements of the traditional coffin with an enhanced visual appearance.

What makes the Coffin Cover arrangement different is that it contains a separate internal coffin that is made of a simple biodegradable material that is removed from the outer Coffin Cover prior to the cremation or the burial taking place.

The simple and practical internal coffin is the only item that a family need to purchase for the funeral because the outer Coffin Cover can be used again and again. The internal coffin is very low cost to produce and the savings are passed on to the family.

The Coffin Cover arrangement was developed using the best of all existing coffin features and combines them with several original designs to provide a solution to current environmental, social and financial concerns a family may have when faced with making funeral arrangements.

In Summary

It is our aim to provide as much advice on choosing funeral headstones or help locating reputable monumental masons, stones masons, memorial masons or funeral directors with the skills to carve inscriptions on quality new headstones, head stones, gravestones, grave stones, tombstones and memorials in polished black granite, grey granite, white marble, slate or stone for a grave of an adult, child or cremated remains (ashes graves) at an affordable price.

If you are a member of this group of people and you are not listed on this page or you want to make an amendment or add a website link, please let us know the details in writing either by email (help@funeralassist.co.uk) or fax 01274 526902 and we will make the amendment FREE OF CHARGE.

This page is designed to help you locate monumental masons or memorial masons who can provide a specific memorial service in this local area. There is also memorial guidance on the cost of headstones, choosing headstones and cemetery and churchyard rules and regulations as well as general advice and relevant internet links. The information provided on this page should be considered as advice and guidance and not recommendation. This website cannot be held responsible for the workmanship provided by those listed. We reserve the right to remove any listing at our discretion and without informing those concerned.

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